Hopeful Apple Seedlings
by Kartara
Summary: Completed series of inconsistent one-shots that were formerly done for the 2017 Zenyuki Week.
1. Quick little informational summary

**Quick little informational summary before you start reading!**

Zenyuki Week 2017 was held between September 18th – 24th in 2017.

The prompts for each day are as follows:

Day One (18th of September): Connected

Day Two (19th of September): Memories

Day Three (20th of September): Damsel in Defense

Day Four (21st of September): Secrets

Day Five (22nd of September): Dance

Day Six (23rd of September): Insecurity

Day Seven (24th of September): Reunion

You can find all entries for this semi-contest by logging on to Tumblr and searching up its hashtag, #Zenyukiweek17

The amazing people who held this week go under the username _TheZenyukiWeek_.

I did a total of seven prompts, one for each day, and decided to upload it here. Have fun reading! Please be sure to leave your feedback, whether positive or negative! Whichever one it may be, it will always be productive!


	2. Feelings Are the Lights That Never Fade

Zenyuki Week 2017, Day One: Connected

Title: Feelings Are the Lights That Never Fade

 **DISCLAIMER: I own** _ **nothing**_ **in this fan-fiction except my horrible grammar and writing skills. All the characters or cities mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to Akiduki Sorata unless said otherwise. Any references to real people or places are purely coincidental.**

 _Synopsis:_ When Shirayuki is assigned to be Ryuu's assistant during his stay in Lilias, she begins to feel homesick. Zen, after a failed attempt at being a workaholic, inevitably ends up thinking about her. Will their connection be severed, or will their feelings reach each other no matter how far the distance?

* * *

Shirayuki shut yet another book, turning to Ryuu. "Have you found anything so far?"

Her past mentor merely shook his head. "Unfortunately, no."

Yuzuri let out an exasperated sigh. "All these books, and yet none of them hold the cure for this mysterious disease…!"

Shidan waved her off with a flick of his hand. "There's no helping it. We should just call it a day and retire to our living quarters."

They all took his advice and went their separate ways, sans Shirayuki and Ryuu. The two loitered behind for a short while, cleaning up everyone else's mess. After they finished, they both made their way to their shared room.

"Good night, Shirayuki," Ryuu wished her after they had dressed into their nightwear and settled into their bed to go to sleep.

"Night to you, too," Shirayuki chirped back to him, switching off her light and pulling her blanket over her chest. After a few minutes of fidgety movement, she realised that she wouldn't be getting any sleep anytime soon. No turning, shifting, or fluffing of her pillow could help that.

She eventually gave up any hope of going to sleep and decided to occupy herself with something quietly so as to not wake Ryuu up. As she bent down to look under her bed, her hands wrapped themselves around a box. Not just _any_ box; the box she kept all her most precious things in.

 _I forgot I brought this with me until now!_

Zen sighed before pushing his chair back. _All this work isn't helping me at all…!_

He had spent the entire day trying to distract himself with paperwork, never allowing a moment to let his thoughts drift, but realised that he didn't have the resolve to do so. It was a mistake from the very beginning; he and paperwork didn't get along very well.

His eyes unconsciously darted around the room, finally resting on a vase. The vase held a beautiful assortment of flowers, no doubt carefully orchestrated to be pleasing eye candy. Lilies and magnolias alike flowed towards one another, forming a lovely pattern.

 _Some noble or another gave that to me to try and win my favour,_ He mused. _How zealous of them._

Suddenly, his eye caught sight of something unusual inside the vase. As he recalled, only lilies and magnolias contributed to the carefully thought-out design. _Why would another type of flower be carefully tucked away?_

His hand involuntarily started reaching for it, and before he knew, it was clutched inside his hands. Upon closer inspection, he realised that the flower was a yura shigure; the flower that reminded him and Ryuu alike of Shirayuki.

His mouth subconsciously formed itself into a frown. _Obi must have been behind this, trying to make me think of her!_

He spun it between two fingers for a short while, finally letting his thoughts drift away from his obligations. _I wonder how Shirayuki is doing?_

Shirayuki threw open the box's lid eagerly, tentatively shifting its contents about to find what she was looking for. She let out a sigh of relief as her hands clasped around the aforementioned article gingerly before bringing it towards her face.

The item she held so dear to her heart was a broken watch. Zen's old watch that he lent to her on her trip to Tanbarun, to be more specific. Since she had accidentally broken it during the voyage, she had bought him a new watch in replacement of his broken one. As thanks, he gave her his broken watch to keep. She treasured it deeply.

Her thumb brushed against its metal surface, back and forth, back and forth. It reminded her of all the things Zen had done for her; be patient, help her when she needed it, and give her the freedom to do what she pleased.

 _He's done so many things for me, I could never even begin to repay him…_

Tears started brimming in her eyes as she thought back. _All I've ever done is force Zen to save me, never doing anything for him in return. "Sorry" wasn't enough when it came down to it._

Her chest had tightened tremendously without her knowledge, considerably so that she couldn't breathe. Her gaze suddenly flicked towards the doors to the balcony.

 _I have to go outside!_

After twirling it about between his two fingers for uncountable minutes, his chest tightened with every passing thought. They were gut-wrenching and stifled him so much he could hardly manage a breath in or out.

 _I should go get a breath of fresh air outside,_ He reasoned with himself. The Second Prince found himself involuntarily getting up and throwing open the doors to the upper tier that adjoined his office.

The wind plastered his hair against his face for a millisecond before releasing its grip and lying it flat.

The doors shut themselves after a short while, leaving Zen to his thoughts alone.

Shirayuki cautiously opened one of the doors to the balcony, trying not to wake her cotenant up. A light breeze brushed her cheeks as she pulled the door slowly behind her. Zen's watch was residing in the palm of her hand.

She subconsciously let her breath that she didn't know she was holding out, the cool night air relaxing her lungs and bringing a sense of peace to her mind.

The moon glistened brightly, creating a blurry white hue around itself. Once her eyes adjusted to the dark night, she noticed all the stars that flanked the moon protectively, as if making a ring of protection around it.

Shirayuki smiled at the sight, her chest slowly but surely beginning to untighten itself. The night sky cast a dark blue glow on the snow around her, making it look similar to a snowy wonderland.

Her gaze went upward as she stared at the moon in awe. _I wonder if Zen is staring at the same sky?_

The Second Prince looked up at the night sky, wondering the same exact thing without knowing.

The night was not unlike a blanket covering up everything, but it was softer. It was a blue so dark it almost appeared purple to the naïve eye.

Zen suddenly realised that he hadn't set the flower down and still had it clutched tightly in his hand. He brought it to his lips, closing his eyes for a second.

A gentle breeze swished the flower petals, flipping the petals over themselves. It eventually let up and the flower assumed its original position.

 _When something tries to deter it, however that may be, it reassumes its natural position, unfaltering._

 _Just like Shirayuki…_

He abruptly tilted his head upward, staring up into the endless abyss that was the night sky. Stars twinkled and gleamed from all over, their numbers too great to count.

He titled his head back downward, letting the gentle wisp of the wind envelop his every sense. It didn't surprise him that by during so, Shirayuki immediately came to mind. He closed his eyes and pressed the flower to his lips once more.

One wish came to mind, and though he knew it was childish, he still wished it. _Wind, please make Shirayuki appear in front of me, if only for a moment!_

Zen opened one eye, but a brief look about proved that his wish was too zany to truly be heard. He resolved to make one last attempt at a wish.

 _If you cannot make Shirayuki appear, at least let my feelings reach her. That'd be enough._

Proof that the wind had heard hit him instantly when the flower he was holding was plucked clean out of his hand and whisked away, out of his sight. _Wind, I sure hope you know what you're doing…_

Shirayuki clutched the watch close to her heart, her eyes squeezed shut as her eyelids trembled with the will to not cry. She only opened her eyes when she realised that the wind was circling around her, whishing her hair gently about. Though the wind normally made her cold, she didn't feel the slightest in the least. In fact, she felt warmed; even touched. She finally noticed that a flower was twirling about and knew it was trying to convey something to her.

She chuckled softly as the wind playfully brushed against her cheeks, wrapping itself around her fingers to give her the sense that someone was holding her hand. The flower she had seen earlier was placed into the palm of her open hand, and after a quick inspection, she concluded that it was a yura shigure.

She realised that the feelings the wind was trying to convey reflected Zen's own. She felt his eagerness to hold her as the wind whisked itself about her, felt his patience as the wind slowed down to match her pace, and even felt his affection for her when the wind lifted not only the watch but her heart alongside it. It gently took it out of her grasp, coaxing her fingers open, before opening its band and wrapping it snugly around her neck. To finish it off, the wind positioned the flower beautifully onto her hair before blowing itself away.

 _Even now, Zen lets me know of his feelings…_

She turned in the direction of the sky, clutching her fists as a resolute look spanned her face. _No matter what, our feelings will always reach one another!_

* * *

A/N: Okay, this may not come out as much of a surprise, but I was watching _Pocahontas_ whilst in the middle of writing this. It's where the idea of including wind in this fan-fiction came to me. While I do admit that the idea of wind connecting them together seems a bit zany, it is a nice thought, isn't it?

No? Okay.

If you want me to make another one-shot concerning the Obiyuki or Zenyuki pair, feel free to ask or request me for it! I'll be glad to do it, granted that I have any free time. xD


	3. Memories of a Distant Past

Zenyuki Week 2017, Day Two: Memories

Title: Memories of a Distant Past Shape the Future

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this fan-fiction except my horrible grammar and writing skills. All of the characters or cities mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to Akiduki Sorata unless said otherwise. Any references to real people or places are purely coincidental.**

 _Synopsis_ : When Queen Haruto comes to visit Wistal Castle, she finds a few old photos of Zen from his childhood. One of them contains a picture of Zen and a certain red-haired girl when they went on a trip to Tanbarun. How will this affect Zen's and Shirayuki's relationship?

* * *

Zen sat in his office, completing desk work. He didn't complain or sigh like he usually did; in fact, he had a smile on his face as he did them.

"Does anyone know why he's acting so strange?" Mitsuhide whispered to Kiki and Obi.

"Perhaps he had a rendezvous with Shirayuki late in the night?" Obi suggested, earning a glare from his master.

"I can hear you, you know!" The silver-haired prince hissed in his direction.

Kiki gave him a stoic look. "Then what's the real reason for you acting so happy?"

He set his quill in his inkwell before answering, "Mother is coming to visit Wistal for a short while to crown Lord Brother."

His close aide put a hand on his chin as he thought. "She hasn't been here in such a long time… Oh, this will be her first time meeting Shirayuki if they get to meet."

The Second Prince nodded. "That's why it's so important. I want to quickly finish my work so I can go inform Shirayuki about the news."

The Prince's Knight gave him a smirk. "I wonder how Mistress will react to the news?"

"Is that all I need to do?" Shirayuki asked her former mentor, Ryuu,

Ryuu nodded. "Yep. Just hand over your report to the Chief Herbalist for safe-keeping and you'll be done for the day."

"Okay!" She nodded in acknowledgement before heading out of their shared office and into the main section of the pharmacy. She found the Chief in no time at all and handed her the report.

"Nice work, Shirayuki-chan!" Garack complimented her. "Oh, if you're heading out, there's someone who wants to meet you."

The young red-head blinked. "Someone came to meet me?"

The Chief nodded. "I would have gotten you out sooner, but they specifically said not to disturb you while you were working. They said they'd be fine waiting."

"I better go meet them, then! I wouldn't want to keep them waiting any longer!"

After saying her goodbyes, she exited the pharmacy and went to the room her visitor was currently waiting in. Her pulse began to beat more rapidly as she grabbed the handle and pushed it open.

"Zen!" Shirayuki heard herself call out as she recognized the figure sitting on a couch.

He held up a hand in greeting. "Yo, Shirayuki. I have something to tell you."

"So, your mother is coming to visit?" The young herbalist concluded after he finished giving her the news.

"Basically, yes," Zen agreed, "but I want her to meet you."

Shirayuki began to turn red. "M-Meet me?!

The Second Prince grabbed her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "Don't worry; if you'd like, I could give you basic lessons in manners, posture, and the like."

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you. That will really help me act ladylike in front of your mother and not act impertinently."

The silver-haired visitor returned her smile in kind. "I wouldn't stress over it too much; I'm sure Mother will love you no matter what you do."

"I sure hope so…"

The following week after the next, the Queen arrived at the castle gates inside a carriage.

"Prince Zen!" Mitsuhide called out as he flung open his office doors before coming in, followed by Kiki and Obi.

Zen looked up from his paperwork as he set his quill down. "What is the matter?"

"It's your mother," Kiki explained. "The Queen has arrived."

He quickly pushed back his chair. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go greet her!"

They all made their way hurriedly to the Queen's official office, only giving a quick greeting here and there to any person who greeted them. They arrived at her door with time to spare.

"You sure you don't want to bring Mistress with us before going in?" Obi asked in a low whisper.

The Second Prince shook his head. "Not now. She just came back and is now trying to get readjusted to everything. We'll give her a little bit of time and space before bringing her up."

With that, his loyal aide knocked on the door before speaking in a formal tone. "Your Majesty, the Second Prince would like to speak with you now!"

"Come in!" A bubbly voice responded back. "The door is open!"

All of them complied with her request and came into her office. She leaned back slightly on her desk with her hands, looking at them with kind eyes. Her pretty blonde hair—so blonde that it almost appeared white—was in unruly curls that would normally make someone look unkempt, but on her, cascaded down her shoulders stunningly. She wore a simple yellow dress that fell gracefully to the floor, being so lengthy that it hid her choice of footwear.

Izana sat close by on the window sill, giving them an indifferent look when they came in.

"Zen!" The dowager queen called out excitedly as she lunged towards him and pulled him in for a hug.

"Whoa!" He let out as he almost lost his balance but regained it in time before wrapping his arms around her. "I've missed you, too."

His mother immediately launched herself into a quick and vague retelling of all the things she's been doing; Watching over the north, investigating a few scandalous schemes by nobles, and making sure the trade routes were regulated to allow any foreign businesses to sell.

"Oh, how rude of me!" Queen Haruto said before turning to her son. "I've been talking about me and not letting you say a word. Have you anything to tell your mother?"

The silver-haired prince scratched his cheek, looking up at the ceiling, as he tried to think of something to say. "…I solved a dispute between a lord and the island people if that's anything…"

She waved him off. "No, no, I want juicy gossip! Did you strip any nobles of their titles, get control of the jurisdiction of another land, or meet any new women who've held your interest?"

Zen felt himself begin to blush at her last insinuation as Obi covered his mouth to try and stifle his laughter, but even then, he made a few snorts. This earned him sudden attention from the Queen.

"I see you've gotten a new aide," She commented as she gave each a once over. "I'm glad to see that you've taken a liking to Kiki Seiran and Mitsuhide Louen."

"Yes," He agreed, "they're all very loyal. I'm happy to have them each as one of my loyal aides."

She smiled at her son, then at his aides. "If you've all managed to get Zen to trust you, then you're all right in my book."

Mitsuhide blushed before frantically waving his hands in the air. "N-No, I am not worthy of such praise! I am merely a humble servant doing what his master commands!"

The blonde royal chuckled. "I see, then you wouldn't mind having a little celebration for my arrival?"

"Will there be cake and wine?!" The Prince's Knight, Obi, asked enthusiastically.

"You bet!"

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get this party started!"

The queen stumbled to her living quarters, practically tripping over thin air. _I've had too much to drink today…_

She allowed herself the leisure of leaning against the wall as she staggered her way down the hallway and into her room. After she had come in and closed the door, she threw herself on her bed.

 _Izana sure knows how to drink… Just like his father…_

A pang hit her heart immediately at the thought of her late husband. She tried not to think about it too much, but it still hurt whenever she did. _Will the pain ever go away?_

After a few minutes, it was apparent that it wouldn't. The dowager royal decided to sift around her personal belongings for quite some time before finally letting her hands rest on an old photo album. _I forgot I left this here!_

Her hands quickly pried it open and flittered through the photos. She let her eyes rest on them all; pictures of Izana and Zen happy as children, and even when Izana first held Zen—a baby then—in his arms for the first time. His smile was so wide as he gazed upon his new baby brother.

 _What a long time ago… Where have the times gone?_

Her fingers seemed to move on their own accord when they flipped through the page of photos once more. They finally stopped on one photo in particular; a picture of Zen and a girl when they were young. It was taken when they took a short trip to Tanbarun for diplomatic reasons and she took him to the park while her spouse and eldest son sat through political meetings with Tanbarun's king. The girl had long, vibrant red hair that fell easily to her hips, her green eyes wide with wonder. It was no question how Zen managed to make a friend out of her; he was like that when he was young and innocent.

 _I feel like I've seen that girl before…_

Her finger glided across the photo, stopping at the redhead's hair. She began to rub it as if, through some miraculous miracle, she'd be able to grab a hold of that hair.

Her body suddenly felt very tired and groggy. _The wine must finally be settling its sleeping effects on me…_

The queen closed her family photo album and set it down on her bedside table. _I'll show him it tomorrow and see if he'll remember who she was,_ she thought before turning over and falling into a deep siesta.

A gentle knock on her door woke her up the following morning. "Your Majesty? Your presence is requested at your morning meal."

The queen let out an exhausted groan before heaving herself out of bed. "Please report back to them that I'm on my way."

After the blonde royal heard the footsteps begin to recede back into an opposite direction, she sifted through her closet for anything to wear and quickly changed into the one she deemed suitable enough. Once she was finished, she made her way to the dining area that was set aside especially for the royals and superior aristocrats alike.

Upon flinging open the doors to the exclusive dining area, Queen Haruto was graced with a chorus of greetings.

"Good morning, Queen!"

"What a fine morning, huh, Your Majesty?"

"You look lovely this fine morning, Queen Haruto!"

The blonde royal smiled back at them. "Thank you all for your pleasant greetings. I'll take my seat now."

Doing just that, she took a seat next to her eldest son and settled herself in.

The queen scanned the table, realising that though her youngest son's aides were present, he himself was not. "Would you happen to know where our dear Zen is?"

Izana merely gave her a shrug in response. "I've no idea."

They decided not to waste any more time and went straight into eating. _I'll have to find Zen later on,_ she thought to herself.

Once she had finished all of her paperwork for the day after eating breakfast, Queen Haruto set about finding Zen to spend some quality time with him.

 _Where could that little troublemaker have run off to?_

She tried his office first but found out it was all for nought. _Of course, he wouldn't be in his office, doing paperwork, like he_ should _be!_

His aides, unlike him, were ever so dependable and were already stationed inside their master's office.

"Would any of you have the faintest idea where Zen could be?" The blonde royal asked.

Mitsuhide scratched his cheek as if in deep thought. "If I may be so bold, Your Majesty, you should try the pharmacy ward. He enjoys sneaking off there."

She nodded in acknowledgement. "I see. Thank you for your helpful insight, Sir Mitsuhide."

Once she had reached the door to the pharmacy, she realised she hadn't asked his devoted aide why he enjoyed going there so much. _Oh well. Perhaps I'll find out?_

The dowager queen turned the knob and let herself into the pharmacy.

"Your Majesty!" The Chief Herbalist—she remembered that her name was Garack Gazelt—quickly greeted as she pushed back her chair and stood up. "I didn't think you'd grace the pharmacists with your presence on your visit! How may I help you? Have you any injury that needs inspecting?"

The blonde shook her head. "No, no, nothing of that kind. I merely came to see what my dear son was doing in the pharmacy."

At this, the Chief visibly began to furrow her brow and sweat. "W-Well, you see…"

"–So, you've been working hard, huh, Shirayuki?" The voice of her son reached her faintly as footsteps accompanied it.

"Yes, but I enjoy it very much!" An unfamiliar yet bubbly female voice responded back. Their footsteps were coming closer. "You've been working a lot as well, with your mother's arrival and all, right?"

"Aahh, about that–"

Zen's voice was cut abruptly off when his eyes took in the presence of his mother. "M-Mother?!"

The woman with him began to turn red. "That's your mother?!"

The queen took no notice of this as she stared at the woman with wide eyes. "Y-You're… her!"

The woman she was looking at had the same vibrant-red hair and green emerald eyes as the girl in the photo did. If she had to guess the girl's age, she'd be about the same age as the woman in front of her.

"Huh?" The red-head let out as she blinked in confusion at the blonde royal. "What do you mean by that?"

The queen hurriedly reached inside of her coat and took out the picture, comparing the girl from it to the woman in front of her. Sure enough, it was a match.

"You're the girl from this photo!" She repeated once again before turning the photo around and showing it to them.

"Hey, Zen, that's you from when you were little, right?" The red-head asked.

Her son nodded in confirmation. "That's right, Shirayuki, but is that girl next to me you?"

The girl's—Shirayuki's—eyes widened as she took everything in. "Is that really me?! I-I mean, it looks like me, but then again, it could be any other…"

She suddenly stopped rambling, becoming eerily silent. The Second Prince gave her a worried look. "Are you okay?'

The young red-head quickly came back to senses and frantically began waving her hands around. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I just remembered a promise I made to a young boy around my age when I was little."

His eyes started widening in surprise. "P-Promise?!"

Shirayuki gave a slight nod of her head. "It was a long time ago, but a promise all the same."

A surprised expression settled itself onto the queen's facial features. "What did you two promise each other?'

The young herbalist began to blush. "W-Well… we promised each other that when we'd meet again, we would…"

"You would…?"

She took a deep breath. "…We would marry each other."

An eerie silence enveloped everyone as they took this all in.

"WHAT?!"

After Shirayuki had explained as best as she could to the both of them about her experience, they ended up in her office.

"…And that's all I can remember," She finished sombrely.

"Who would've thought you two met before?" Queen Haruto asked rhetorically.

"I sure didn't," Zen said in response. "I can't believe we met in Tanbarun before…"

"Well, your father had to talk to the King of Tanbarun then," The queen explained. "I used to take you to the park while Izana stayed behind to observe how your father handled diplomatic matters. Of course, we went undercover and donned our most common clothing to do so."

"Before my grandparents passed away, they used to take me to the park when they had the time," Shirayuki admitted sadly. "I enjoyed those times so much…"

Upon seeing the hurt gleaming in the young herbalist's eyes, she sighed. "You two have had a lot happen today; go take a break. That's an official order from the Queen herself, mind you!"

The young red-head gave her a slight smile. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Even though Shirayuki was supposed to be in her room, taking a break, her mind wouldn't wind down. She decided the best thing to do was to take a walk around the palace.

Her feet lead her past the pharmacy, stopping at the doors to the castle's courtyard. _I wonder if anyone would mind if I collected my thoughts out there?_

She shook her head before twisting the doorknob and letting herself out. _I'm sure it'd be okay._

The slight breeze swayed her hair from side to side, bringing a sense of calmness to her mind. Her skin abruptly began to stand on edge when she realised she wasn't alone.

 _Who else is here with me?_

"Shirayuki!" She heard a familiar voice call out. She quickly spun to the source of it and saw Zen standing before her. "I didn't know you let yourself out here."

Shirayuki gave him a tight-lipped smile. "I didn't know you did, either."

The silver-haired prince rubbed his neck before averting his gaze. "I just came out here to sort out my thoughts. At the moment, they're sort of jumbled…"

The young herbalist went to his side before intertwining her hand with his own. "I feel the same, too."

He shifted his gaze back to her as he stared into her eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It's just like you to find the perfect thing to say to me when I don't even know what I want to hear."

He led her to a tree that was ridden with age but still had a swing tied on one of its branches. He held out his hand to her. "Care to join me for a swing, my lady?"

She took his hand. "Why, thank you, kind sir!'

The Second Prince helped her get settled onto the swing. She grasped the rope stabiliser as Zen pulled her back and let go. "Wheeeeeee!"

He chuckled at her excitement as he pulled back the rope and let go once more. "Reminds you of when we were little, huh?"

"Yep!"

Zen grasped the rope again, but, unlike before, didn't let go.

Shirayuki hurriedly got off of the swing and went to his side. "Zen, are you okay?"

He suddenly pulled her into his arms, hiding his face inside the crook of her neck.

"Z-Zen…" She let out, embarrassed.

All this did was straighten his resolve. He didn't lessen up one bit.

"Zen," She started a bit unsurely, "what's wrong? Are you alright?"

He tightened his grip around her considerably. "I've been thinking about what I promised you before… When we were children…"

The words, so clear and hopeful, came back to her. _I promise the next time that we meet, I'll marry you!_

It brought a smile to her lips. "Aah, that promise… It's okay if you don't honour it. We were merely children, after all."

That didn't seem to help him in the least. "Still, I made a promise… It hurts when I think that I may not be able to keep it…"

Shirayuki pulled back so she could look him in the eyes. "Zen, I don't want you to marry me because you feel obligated to over a promise. As far as I'm concerned, we're two totally different people than who we were back then."

Zen smiled. "All the same, a promise is a promise…"

He leaned in, his mouth close to her ear. "…One that I intend to keep."

She visibly began turning the same shade of red as her hair. "W-What?!"

* * *

A/N: Okay, I'm not sure what I was really thinking when I wrote this? In fact, I don't think I was quite thinking at all when I wrote this. As I read back on it now, it doesn't necessarily make sense to me or seem the least be realistic. Even so, I hope you all enjoyed it more than I did!

If you want me to make another one-shot concerning the Obiyuki or Zenyuki pair, feel free to ask or request me for it! I'll be glad to do it, granted that I have any free time. xD


	4. She's Her Own Knight in Shining Armor

Zenyuki Week 2017, Day Three: Damsel in Defence

Title: She's Her Own Knight in Shining Armor

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this fan-fiction except my horrible grammar and writing skills. All the characters or cities mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to Akiduki Sorata unless said otherwise. Any references to real people or places are purely coincidental.**

 _Synopsis_ : After successfully finding the cure to the mysterious disease, finding its source, and purifying its source for public use, the King of Clarines—Izana—assigns Shirayuki to be the head of the interstate mission to sell purified Olin Maris as jewellery and the like. As such, she is requested to appear in front of the Royal Council to importune her case. What will happen when Shirayuki gets scrutinised and she's not taken seriously? Will Zen defend her, or will she rise and protect herself?

* * *

Shirayuki took a deep breath in and out, trying to calm her nerves as she waited patiently to be called upon to go into the Royal Council's room. Strictly speaking, its legal name wasn't the Royal Council—that was a dubbed axiom that caught on when Clarines' citizens realised that Izana and Zen both attended the sessions and placed in their input from time to time. Its real name was the Ambassadorial Council for Civilisation, but few took the time to call it so. With both royals being exemptions, the Royal Council was comprised of noblemen and aristocrats alike. They all come together to solve diplomatic matters that could affect Clarines' entire kingdom.

The red-haired herbalist was currently waiting to state her case to them for the public marketing of Olin Maris—a beautiful, glowing crystal that was initially assumed to be lethal, but she and her team had worked together to find a treatment that could decontaminate the mineral for decorative use. Because she helped, she was specifically chosen by the King of Clarines, Izana, to be the envoy for Lilias.

She jumped slightly when the door—to the room where the Royal Council assembled—was opened by their representative. "Shirayuki-san? Your presence is requested at the front of the Royal Council."

She took one more breath in before lifting herself up from one of the numerous waiting room chairs, her steps towards the open door feeling unusually heavy and unsure. After walking inside, she let out her breath and took her place at the top of an elevated platform. Her heart started beating more rapidly than before, and her stomach felt like it was flipped inside out.

"Shirayuki Machiavelli, you stand before us as the appointed ambassador for Lilias, is that truthful?" A rigid nobleman asked aloofly, one hand holding papers and the other behind his back.

She nodded diffidently. "Y-Yes, that is correct. I was specifically asked to do so by the king."

"The king?" He asked, an eyebrow up in suspicion.

Izana—getting up from his seat next to Zen—faced the nobleman. "This is true. After seeing her faultless ability at Lilias, I gathered that she would be a superlative person worthy enough of being the ambassador for the Olin Maris case."

The representative gave a reverent nod in response. "Very well. The consultation will now commence."

Everyone, sans herself, took their seat and pushed their chair in, their undivided attention focussed on her. She felt sweat begin to form thinly on her forehead with every piercing, searching gaze, trying to gauge who she was.

"Shirayuki-san, you are, at this juncture, bringing forth the issue on Olin Maris. What are your assessments of this topic?"

The young herbalist clasped her hands together, resisting the urge to grasp the hem of her dress. "Though the mineral in question was originally thought to be poisonous and fatal upon touch, my team and I in Lilias found a special treatment that affectively removes the poison and makes it safe to hold. It is with this data that I believe Olin Maris should be distributed for marketing."

"Would you mind telling the court how this plant makes this poison and what you've done to combat it?"

She nodded. "Olin Maris is a plant known to withstand the winter cold. One of the ways we believe it does this is by shedding its own light to provide enough heat to protect itself from the cold. When it creates its seed, it would also be creating its own glowing heat sustenance. This makes it look like a flower that glows naturally, thus why it was nicknamed the "Flower of the Night," but there's a catch; after doing this, it will continue to store the glowing heat sustenance until the seed germinates, where the glow becomes enhanced an estimated ten-fold, resulting in poison beginning to brew. Once it starts that process, the sustenance will start to mix into what we refer to as the poison.

"Our research was based on the wish that we be able to take the poison out of an Olin Maris mineral, but still have it glow as much as it did with the poison intact. We've tried doing this by altering its seeds through heating, but they became dimmer in comparison. Through an experiment, we found out that Olin Maris increases its glow due to the temperature around it. In other words, to make its glow brighter without poison, we'd need to keep it in constant contact with a heat source, but also let it have minimum contact with cold air. A resolution we found for this was letting a Heat Glitter Heat Crystal solidify halfway, then cover the seed in a prearranged liquefied mixture, and finally put it in to let it crystalize, thus allowing us to separate the stone and the seed even when it's been inside a heat stone. We then let the flower bloom safely inside of it."

"I see," The nobleman said after a moment of consideration.

When he sat down, another one took his place. "Can you show us the stone in question?"

The young redhead nodded once again before reaching into her coat and pulling out a poison-less Olin Maris. She held it up the shimmering mineral for everyone to see.

A few assemblymen let out gasps of awe, some questioning the validity of the stone. "Is that really poison-less?" She distinctly heard one grumble under his breath, just audible enough for her to hear.

She ignored them as she went on, "This is the result of the research we've done."

After the council finally settled down to a few hushed murmurs, one noblewoman stood up to address her. "Exactly how is this manufactured?"

"As of now, it's only been manmade," She admitted solemnly. "It doesn't take that long to make, however. We have a few already in the process of being made at the Lilias Dispensary as we speak, and if we get enough qualified people willing to decontaminate the Flower of the Night, we'd be able to do it."

The noblewoman opened her mouth to speak once more, but the hushed murmurs now became much louder; so loud that the representative had to call several times for the room to be quiet before they finally listened to him.

"We'll take a brief intermission," He finally announced with a tinge of annoyance, "seeing as we're too restless to truly listen."

Though many people protested, in the end, everyone was ushered out to cool their heads for a bit. She wanted to try and catch Zen before he left, but she lost him in the crowd easily. She resigned to go to the Great Hall. Normally, she'd go to her usual hideout in one of the numerous dovecotes inside Wistal Castle, but she decided to stray away and decided to go there instead. After all, she didn't know when the representative would call them back into the council room. It was best to be in an area where news would reach her quickly.

Since her stomach was too jittery for her to consume any food, she decided a light beverage would help. "One glass of mead, please?"

The server nodded. "One moment, please."

She took her seat nearby as she waited for her drink. Coincidently, one of the aristocrats from the Royal Council also decided to come to the Great Hall to wind down. "Oh, well, if it isn't the red-haired urchin!"

Shirayuki pretended not to hear him, but that didn't stop him in the least. "Can you believe that the king appointed her to be the representative of Lilias?"

Another unfamiliar voice—who she assumed was one of his noble friends—joined in. "Really? How come?"

"I'm not sure, but what a laughingstock that made Olin Maris! Appointing someone like her—who has distinctive features—would make anyone question the validity of Olin Maris as a potential market good. Seems to me she was only meant to be a poster girl for the mineral."

She felt her fingers tap impatiently as she waited further for her drink. "Actually, that might be it! I doubt that the mineral in question was rendered poison-less! Perhaps they're merely covering up that fact to make patrons buy a lethal article! I dare say that the red-haired bumpkin was made the poster girl purely to deviate us from the truth. I'll have my fellow congressmen know about this!"

That was all she could bear. Suddenly, in a move so swift the nobleman jumped back involuntarily, she turned furiously towards him before narrowing her eyes in infuriation. "Excuse me, dear sir, but I simply must stop you there. You can say what you please about my character or facial features, but I will not stay silent as I hear you chastise the very stone my dedicated friends and I have worked so hard to make. Olin Maris really was decontaminated solely for the purpose of public use, so please reract your earlier statement. If you would like to go tell your fellow congressmen, go straight ahead; I won't stop you. We'll see what's truthful when I show them the true magnificence of the vibrant flower dubbed, "The Flower of the Night.""

The nobleman, who merely moments before was accusing she and her friends of nothing short of treachery, now stood speechless with his jaw open. He hadn't thought she'd actually say something in return to him, much less with such a voice of authority. "S-Sorry, ma'am… I understand that was an erroneous allegation…"

Her eyes, which were a dark green as green as a venomous snake's that bore a gaping hole into him only a moment beforehand, now grew softer. "It's quite all right; I can understand why you'd think that. I'd probably think the very same thing if I were you; I don't exactly look the part that an ambassador should. Even so, I will try with all my might to make sure Olin Maris is efficaciously distributed for marketing. I owe at least that to all my friends who persevered through sleepless nights to ultimately form this."

When she twisted back about to be seated appropriately on her bench, she let out a gasp of surprise. "Z-Zen?!"

Zen was unfortunately veered off his course by the mass of people trying to exit the council room. He finally broke loose from the frenzy of people, letting out an annoyed sigh as he checked his surroundings, gradually beginning to remember where he was. _The Great Hall should be around the corner, if my memory serves me well…_

Upon twisting the door open, he realised that the usual vacant area was now presently a busy place. His eyes quickly itemised a certain red-haired interest of his. He felt his chest steadily begin to untighten. _She's here!_

His feet moved of their own accord towards her, but abruptly stopped a foot or so away when he noticed how tense she quickly became. He didn't have time to ponder why before a nearby nobleman sneered at her. "Can you believe that the king appointed her to be the representative of Lilias?"

"Really? How come?"

"I'm not sure, but what a laughingstock that made Olin Maris! Appointing someone like her—who has distinctive features—would make anyone question the validity of Olin Maris as a potential market good. Seems to me she was only meant to be a poster girl for the mineral," The nobleman droned on.

Zen heard the aristocrat continue, but through his rage, he couldn't listen enough to comprehend it. _How could he so blatantly scrutinise Shirayuki like that?! What did she do to him to deserve such detestation directed towards her?!_

He narrowed his eyes at him, fists clenched at his sides, as he opened his mouth to say something curt in response but was suddenly cut off by the young redhead as she twisted around to face her accuser. As he took in every word she held true, he gradually loosened his grip on his fists. _Shirayuki doesn't need me to fight her battles,_ He unexpectedly realised. _She can defend her views deferentially without stooping to her opponent's level, making her a great debater._

 _She can do things on her own. I have to accept that._

"Z-Zen?!" He heard her stutter, her face suddenly turning red. "Y-You're here?!"

He gave her a slight smile. "Yo, Shirayuki. I just found my way here shortly before that noble started talking. Forgive me for eavesdropping, but I did restrain myself from jumping in to defend you. It took a lot of willpower to do that, too."

Shirayuki smiled back at him. "I see."

The Second Prince narrowed his eyes at the nobleman. "Have you learned your lesson?"

"Y-Yes, Your Royal Highness!" The nobleman stammered, his eyes widened in fear.

He let out a low sigh. "Then you may go. Remember this the next time you decide to wrongly judge someone."

The nobleman nodded before hurriedly leaving, his friend clambering soon after him. After he offered, Shirayuki followed Zen to a vacant room and took a seat next to him on a tattered couch.

She came clean with her insecurities about her being the ambassador, and Zen consoled her.

"You're doing great so far," He complimented her. "You did really well presenting your case clearly. I doubt there'd be anyone who wouldn't want to vote in your favour."

She gave him a sweet smile, all her worries momentarily gone. "Thank you so much."

He reflected her smile back at her. "It was nothing."

She slowly shook her head. "No, I didn't mean just for soothing me; I meant for trusting me, too."

"Huh?"

"You trusted me enough to fight my own battle, and for that, I am grateful," She said warmly.

She let out a soft gasp as Zen pulled her in for a hug. "You deserve to be treated rightfully, but only you can decide how someone treats you. From now on, I'll restrain myself just a bit to allow you some freedom in your choices. That's the least I can do for you."

She closed her eyes as she threw her arms around him to hug him back. "Thank you!"

* * *

Author's note: Okay, I'll admit I had no idea what I was writing when I wrote this, even though I researched a bit to try and get a good idea for this. I binge-read the earlier chapters of AnS to get a good understanding of Olin Maris but I still feel like it was sloppy. If any of you feel like I was wrong about something pertaining to when I wrote about Olin Maris, please tell me so I can fix it!

The manga never, to my knowledge, states Shirayuki's full name, so I came across a fairly-important person during the Renaissance in his own right. His last name was Machiavelli, and seeing that he spoke out for human rights, I decided to give Shirayuki their last name.

While I was writing this, I decided to research about the time period AnS takes place, which to my estimate is during the Renaissance. I found out that most castles then had dovecotes, places where birds would gather. They're normally at the top of the castle and only a few feet in length. I really entertained the idea of Shirayuki favouring this place above all other ones, second only to her beloved apothecary, of course!

If you want me to make another one-shot concerning the Obiyuki or Zenyuki pair, feel free to ask or request me for it! I'll be glad to do it, granted that I have any free time. xD


	5. A Not-So-Secret Tale

Zenyuki Week 2017, Day Four: Secrets

Title: A Not-So-Secret Tale

Cotillion Arc Part I

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this fan-fiction except my horrible grammar and writing skills. All the characters or cities mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to Akiduki Sorata unless said otherwise. Any references to real people or places are purely coincidental.**

Synopsis: The annual Cotillion ball is about to commence, and Zen needs to make an important decision. Will he keep his relationship with Shirayuki a secret or will he come clean to the entire aristocracy by taking her?

* * *

"Your Royal Highness," Lord Haruka greeted Zen as he walked into his office, "I have an important matter to discuss with you."

The Second Prince's gaze turned from his paperwork to the loyal marquess. "What matter would that be?"

He held out a small folder to him. "Inside are the details for the upcoming Cotillion ball that you are to attend."

Zen nodded in acknowledgement as he took it from him. "Thank you, Lord Haruka. Your hard work is very much appreciated."

The marquess gave him a swift bow before taking his leave. Once he had left, the Silverite quickly skimmed through the instructions left for him to do. One particular line caught his eye, making him reread it more than twice to confirm that it was real.

"Wait, WHAT?!" He let out with a roar. "I have to pick someone to be my escort to the ball?!"

All three of his aides looked at him, surprised etched onto their faces. "Huh?"

Zen showed the instructions to them. "It's all right here!"

Sure enough, there it was—in black and white. Beneath it were pages of the names of noblewomen he could have as his escort.

Obi made a grab for those, quickly sifting through it—ignoring the three others' bickering—before stopping on one page. "Ahh, here's a solution—Mistress' name is there."

"How can that be?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Remember, she has that title from Tanbarun," Kiki informed him, "plus she's a Court Herbalist. Those two titles enough should be able to earn her the right to be an escort."

The Second Prince visibly began to stiffen, his whole body on edge as he thought about having to take her. This didn't seem to escape his aides' eyes.

"Master," The ex-assassin started in a low, accusing voice, "are you actually thinking about not asking Mistress to the ball?! Do you know how that'd make her feel?!"

"Yeah, but I don't want to push things too fast!" His master hissed back at him. "Bringing her to the ball is as good as declaring my intention for her to be my consort, and I doubt that'd escape _her_ notice!"

"But having someone else as your escort won't fare any better with her," Kiki pointed out. "You should ask her first before deciding anything on your own. After all, this affects the both of you."

Zen's eyebrows began to twitch as he pursed his lips. "Fine, I'll go tell her. Just let me finish my paperwork first!"

After an hour of procrastinating, he finally succeeded in finalising his paperwork. He set off in the direction of the pharmacy with heavy, diffident steps. His knocks reflected this, not commanding enough to warrant attention. It took several knocks to get anyone to hear them.

It was Garack who opened it, surprise and then joy crossing over her face. "You're here to see Shirayuki-san, I presume?"

He felt a tinge of a blush creep onto his cheeks. "Y-Yeah… Is she here?"

The Chief Pharmacist stepped back aside to let him through. "She's where she usually always is; her office."

After giving her his gratitude, he made his way to the room he knew so well. When he opened the door, he realised that he interrupted both her and Ryuu in the middle of grinding herbs. Ryuu, taking a hint, excused himself and left almost immediately. This left the two lovers in an awkward silence.

"So… how was your day?" He finally managed out.

Shirayuki gave him a sweet smile. "Good, but I can tell you didn't just come here to ask me that. What exactly did you come here for, Zen?"

He averted his eyes slightly. "W-Well… There's something I'd like to discuss with you…"

The young herbalist took a seat on the window sill, patting the spot next to her. "I'm all ears."

"In summary, you are to attend the Cotillion ball with a noblewoman by your side?" She summed up.

He nodded, averting his eyes and looking the other direction. "Basically, yes…"

Suddenly, Shirayuki put her hand on this, causing him to turn his gaze back to her. "Zen, I'm all right if you decide to bring someone else to the ball instead of me. I understand that you're obligated to, not picking. I won't hold this against you, no matter what you decide."

He couldn't help but smile. _As always, she knows exactly what to say to make me feel better…_

Something caught him off guard, though. Her eyes seemed to deceive her words, gleaming with hurt. Her lips were pursed tightly as if to suppress any untoward words from coming out. Even her hand, tightly clutching his, seemed to speak differently.

Zen took a breath of fresh air in and out, trying to reason with himself. _You're just hurting her by doing this; tell her the full story!_

'I wasn't entirely being truthful," He admitted sombrely. "We were looking through the lists of names and… we…. found yours."

Her eyes widened. "W-What?! Really?!"

He nodded in validation. "Yes, but I didn't want to tell you because I felt that if I did, it would push things too fast…"

She gave him a sweet, understanding smile. "Zen, I said that I'd be fine with whatever you decided to do, and that declaration doesn't change mine. It's your decision, after all."

The Second Prince got up from his spot, not letting go of her hand, and bent down on one knee in front of her. "Shirayuki, will you do me the honour of being my escort to the Cotillion ball?"

Her eyes started to twinkle brightly, the beginnings of tears starting to brim in her eyes. "Yes!"

Unable to contain herself any longer, she full-on tackled Zen down to the floor, hugging him tightly. They laughed, happy as can be.

* * *

Rather than make every prompt I did for Zenyuki Week each be a one-shot, I decided to make a few of them consistent in plots, hence why I titled them the "Cotillion Arc."

If you want me to make another one-shot concerning the Obiyuki or Zenyuki pair, feel free to ask or request me for it! I'll be glad to do it, granted that I have any free time. xD


	6. Dancing with Two Left Feet

Zenyuki Week 2017, Day Five: Dance

Title: Dancing with Two Left Feet

Cotillion Arc Part II

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this fan-fiction except my horrible grammar and writing skills. All the characters or cities mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to Akiduki Sorata unless said otherwise. Any references to real people or places are purely coincidental.**

Synopsis: A quick little snippet of Shirayuki having to learn to dance because she's Zen's escort for a party. (I recommend reading my prompt for Day Four: Secrets. This is kinda a squeal(?)) I was too lazy to actually write a summary to get anyone to read this, so…

Just don't read this. It's not really worth it, lol

* * *

"Sorry!" Shirayuki apologised once again to her dance instructor, offering a small bow. Presently, she was taking dancing lessons from a professional to better ready herself for the ball she was to attend with Prince Zen. Unfortunately, she kept hurting the poor man in numerous ways that shouldn't even be possible while dancing.

Her unfortunate dance instructor was kneeling on one knee, both hands massaging his injured foot. "It-It's okay, Shirayuki-san… Maybe we should take a break…?"

She clutched the hem of her dress as she nodded. "I'll go get you an herbal remedy that should help you with your foot."

True to her word, she set off in pursuit of the pharmacy.

Zen handed his paperwork to his faithful aide, Mitsuhide, before repositioning his royal cape. "That's the last of it."

Obi looked at him from his perch on the window sill. "Are you going to see the Young Miss?"

His master gave him a stone-cold look, clearly annoyed with his insinuation, before asking, "Where is she, anyhow?"

Kiki didn't look up from her book as she answered, "She told me that she was taking more lessons on dancing from the same dance instructor that taught her before she went to Tanbarun."

Before she had even finished, he was at the door, hand on the knob as he twisted it open. "I'll be on my way then. You know where to find me."

The door shut behind him, his aides smirking behind him.

If his memory served him well, he remembered that the room used for her instructing was in the east wing. His feet, though they've never travelled down this way before, found their way easily to the room in question. He knew it was the right room because he heard off-beat footsteps striding to a piano measure, accompanied every few seconds by a sharp "That's my foot!"

A soft chuckle escaped his mouth as he envisioned what was happening in the room. He quietly opened the door and let himself in without catching either of their attention unawares, then took his seat on one of the numerous worn-down couches as he supported his elbow against one of the couch's inside arms and propped his head down on his hand.

Watching her dance instructor trying to teach her how to dance really was amusing. She had no sense of rhythm, and unconsciously or not, she kept taking the lead during the dance. If she'd just follow his, she would be a perfect dancer, but Shirayuki being herself, she couldn't be submissive.

When her dance tutor had all that he could take, he made a gesture for the pianist to stop and went to go take a seat, putting his weight on the heels of his feet rather than on his toes, which have no doubt been crushed throughout the sorry excuse for a dance.

"S-Sorry…" Shirayuki apologised, her head hung low. "You've been so patient, trying to teach me, but I don't think I'm cut out for dancing…"

Despite his injuries, the tutor gave her a small smile. "You're starting to get better then you were. For starters, you don't have an iron grip like before. Now it's more light but strong enough to not lose your grip."

He winced as he gently tried to put pressure with his hands on the injured areas of his foot. "Even so, I think I need to call it a day. Practice a bit more and I'm sure you'll be a natural."

A frown settled itself onto the red-haired herbalist's face. "How can I practice if I don't have a partner?"

Zen quickly got up from his spot on the couch. "If you'd like, Shirayuki-dono, may I be of some assistance?"

She turned around, her eyes widening in surprise. "Z-Zen?! I didn't even know you were here!"

He gave her a sly smile. "That was the point, my dear."

Before she could object his offer, he already had already put his hand in one of hers, the other wrapped around her waist as he guided her through the steps. Her free hand immediately clutched his shoulder as she tried her best to follow.

The King of Clarines now strolled around the castle, stretching his arms as he did so. Sitting at his desk all day made his muscles stiff and sore, so his solution was to send all his aides off on individual errands as he took a much needed break. Albeit they would be a little angry with him at deceiving them, he didn't want to worry about that here and now.

He stopped and froze in his tracks, a piano measure echoing down the hall and reaching his ears. He suddenly remembered that he was in the East Wing; the wing that Shirayuki was assigned to during her lessons to better prepare her for Tanbarun. _She must be taking more lessons to help her dance at the ball,_ He surmised. _Poor dance instructor… he doesn't get paid enough._

As if by their own volition, his feet started taking long strides towards the direction of the room used for her dance lessons. He reached it in no time, stopping right in front of the door. He was about to knock and ask to come in, but he was distracted by the window. Shirayuki, as always, was a klutz and managed to completely go off-beat from the pianist's music. He had to purse his lips together to suppress a laugh, not wanting to give way to his presence. After having all he could take, the dance instructor sat down on one of the numerous couches. Guessing from the expressions Shirayuki was making, he was telling her that they should call it a day.

A glint of silver hair caught his eye, and he swiftly gathered that Zen was quietly watching from afar. Perhaps from seeing Shirayuki's troubled expressions, he got up from his seat and made his way to her. Surprise crossed the young redhead's face for a split second before the Second Prince started leading her through the steps, slowly at first but eventually picking up speed as they went on.

Izana realised that it wasn't expertise Shirayuki was lacking; it was chemistry. Unlike when she was dancing with her dance instructor, her steps matched Zen's perfectly, her body swaying to the rhythm of the music. Watching them, it felt like they were on an entirely different planet; unreachable. As if there was no one in the world but the two of them.

Before he knew it, he had opened the door so quickly that it squeaked and caught the two of them unawares. He blinked, knowing his cover was blown.

"Lord Brother!" Zen finally managed to utter out, his eyes widening. "W-What are you doing here?"

The king averted his eyes, thinking about a good explanation to use. "I merely heard beautiful music and wanted to know the reason behind it. I never thought the two of you would be dancing to it, however."

Shirayuki began to turn a deep shade of red, not courageous enough to meet his eyes. "I was learning dance lessons from my dance instructor, but unfortunately, managed to hurt him in the process. Zen was kind enough to offer to stand in for him and helped me to dance better. Sorry if I took any time away from you by doing this."

Izana waved her off. "It's quite all right. In fact, I have a proposal for the both of you."

The two of them shared a look of confusion before giving him a cautious look.

"Exactly what proposal would that be?" His brother asked.

"Why don't I give Zen more free time to use for teaching you how to dance?" He directed the question to Shirayuki. "It seems like Zen can teach you more than your dance instructor ever could, form the looks of it."

Zen's eyes widened. "R-Really?! You'd let me do that?"

The king's gaze remained indifferent. "I don't see why not. After all, we don't want her making a mockery out of Clarines, do we?"

Shirayuki's eyes gleamed happily as she gave him a wide smile. "Thank you so much!"

The dance teacher was all too happy to have her taken off his hands, gladly resigning his position as her teacher. He gave Zen a quick summary of everything Shirayuki was good or bad at, what she needed most to improve, and the list of songs they've practiced with so far. With that being done, the Second Prince could take the young redhead under his wing to tutor.

* * *

I was reading this other fan-fiction before and during a certain part of it, someone noticed that it was chemistry Shirayuki was missing and not skill when she danced. I decided to take this and incorporate it into my own fan-fiction, so if you all believe I have copied that fan-fiction writer, I'd understand why, lol.

If you want me to make another one-shot concerning the Obiyuki or Zenyuki pair, feel free to ask or request me for it! I'll be glad to do it, granted that I have any free time. xD


	7. I'll Accept All Your Flaws

Zenyuki Week 2017, Day Six: Insecurities

Title: I'll Accept All Your Flaws If You Accept Mine

Cotillion Arc Part III

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this fan-fiction except my horrible grammar and writing skills. All the characters or cities mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to Akiduki Sorata unless said otherwise. Any references to real people or places are purely coincidental.**

Synopsis: The Cotillion Ball is happening presently, and Shirayuki starts to become plagued with doubts. What if she embarrasses Zen and everyone realises that she's had a commoner upbringing? What if a noblewoman proves to be everything she isn't?

What if Zen realises she isn't good enough?

* * *

Shirayuki put the finishing touches on her outfit—a hair ornament that had a counterfeit yura shigure replica on it. She pinned it tightly into her bun. Together, her outfit looked flawless—a almost-all-red dress specially made for her that came in at her waist and flowed out elegantly from her hips onto the floor. The neckline was, in plain terms, a bunched-up circular twine of fluff that resembled a thin sown-on muffler. Two white streams of seems went from below her neckline to the hem of her dress, light purple thread sown into them to form a beautiful purple-and-white pattern. Everything from the waist up to the neckline was like a semi-corset, fitting around her waist seamlessly, the yellow gossamers subtending to the white seams. To top it all off, at the cuffs of her dress, a dark-purple, velvety drapery fell gracefully onto her wrists, covering most of her hands.

She suddenly heard a knock on the door. _It must be time to go!_

When she opened it, there stood all of Zen's aides and her best friends; Kiki, Mitsuhide, and Obi.

Surprise showed clearly on her face. "You all are here!"

Obi nodded. "Yep, we sure are! We were ordered to escort you to a specific section of the ball reserved only for the royal family. Master's waiting for you as we speak."

"Shall we take our leave, then?" Kiki asked politely after he finished speaking.

The young redhead gave a small nod. "We shall!"

They started on their way to the ball, making small talk as they did so.

"As always, you look nothing short of beautiful, Mi'lady," The ex-assassin complimented her.

She smiled back at him. "Thank you, but the credit should go to the wonderful maids Zen assigned to help me with the Cotillion. I couldn't have done it without them."

"So, Shirayuki, how do you feel about being Zen's date?" Mitsuhide asked seriously as they turned into another hallway.

"Honestly?" She asked rhetorically. "Very nervous. I've never been to a Cotillion Ball before."

Kiki gave her a slight smile. "Zen was so happy when he told us that you were his date to the ball. We just knew that he'd man up and finally push your relationship forward."

A tinge of a blush appeared on Shirayuki's face. "I-I'm happy he did so, too. I'm just worried I'll do something wrong…"

"You want to know what Zen said after he told us?" Mitsuhide asked oratorically. "He said that he was glad you two were finally taking matching footsteps in the same direction. For a while now, the two of you have had to deviate from your normal paths, you to Lilias and Zen to the Northern Checkpoint, and as a result, been at a standstill and unable to take steps forward. It's nice to see you two haven't stopped wanting to be at the other's side, even after all that time apart."

Before she could answer him, the foursome abruptly stopped in front of a door. They were now at the door to the ball.

Obi opened the door before standing beside it. "After you, Mistress."

She gave a small curtsy to him. "Thank you, my good sir."

The party of four all let out a soft chuckle at this zany exchange before Shirayuki stepped into the room and waved goodbye to them. "See you all later!"

"Will do," Kiki said in response.

"Have a wonderful time!" Mitsuhide replied next.

"Be sure to give me all the soppy details later!" Obi last, but not least, responded with. "I need something to tease Master with!"

She shook her head as another chuckle escaped her lips, turning her back on them and making her way towards the ballroom floor. She heard the door click shut behind her as she stopped and looked around for any sign of silver hair.

 _Where could he be…?_

A lock of silver hair caught her eye as she surveyed the room. _There he is!_

When she focused on him, she realised that he was at a table, talking to an elderly noble and who she assumed was his daughter. When Zen caught sight of her, he waved her over to them with a smile on his face. She happily obliged.

"Shirayuki!" Zen said warmly when she arrived at their table. "Won't you come sit with us?"

"Yes, please do," The noblewoman replied curtly, visibly clenching her hands together forcefully.

Zen quickly introduced the noblewoman as Malory de Fauré, daughter to Felix de Fauré. Malory wore a beautifully designed black frock that flowed down to brush her heels, seemingly hugging her every curve. The cuffs of her dress were cut off about her wrists, flowing loosely onto her hands. Gold bands encircled her elbows, gold thread lining her square neckline. Two gold seams—about an inch wide each—came out from her hips, coming together to form one seam as it stopped at the hem of her dress. To complete the outfit, a black necklace—no doubt containing her family crest—encircled her neck. The darkness of her outfit contrasted nicely with her blonde hair, matching her dark black, beady eyes.

The young redhead took the last open seat available, which coincidently was right next to hers. "So, what should we talk about?"

"We were talking about how great it is that Prince Zen was made the ruler of the North," The noblewoman responded, "but I guess we can move on to another topic."

"How about how great this ball is?" Zen suggested. "The food is nothing short of exquisite, and the prep team who decorated this ballroom did a magnificent job!"

Shirayuki nodded in agreement. "They did an outstanding job doing so."

"Well, of course, they did!" The noblewoman stated. "This is the Cotillion Ball, you know. They wouldn't hesitate to pull out all the stops to make sure it's nothing short of breath-taking!"

"Right…" The herbalist mumbled back, her gaze moving to the floor as annoyance started to brew in her eyes. _Must she be so conceited?_

"Anyhow, what are we doing here, talking?" The Second Prince asked half-heartedly in an effort to save the conversation. "We should be out there, dancing!"

The two nodded in agreement. "Let's go!"

The two girls went to the dance floor, accompanied by Zen, but the elderly nobleman had to stay behind since his feet were hurting.

"Prince Zen, may I dance with you?" The lady asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

The silverette gave her a slight smile. "Sorry, but I already planned to have my first dance with Shirayuki. You're welcome to wait if you'd like."

The blonde gave an _almost_ unaidable huff before pivoting on her heel and taking a seat nearby, her eyes glaring at the young redhead. She turned to the musicians and whispered something to the main one and he nodded at her request.

"Do you think she's angry?" Shirayuki whispered quietly to him as she put on hand on his shoulder, the other one clutching his hand.

"I don't know," Zen said indifferently before shrugging, placing his free hand on her waist.

Try as she might, Shirayuki's movements were not graceful in the least. Though she never stepped on his toes, she couldn't fully understand the rhythm of the song being played, so she was off-beat quite a few times. Zen tried his best to make her seem graceful, but she wasn't giving him much to work off.

The song finally ended, along with their inept dance. She gave Zen an apologetic look. "Sorry I didn't do too well…"

He waved her off. "It's all right. We've never practised with a fast-beat tempo like this, so I can't expect you to know how to dance to one. You tried your best."

Shirayuki opened her mouth to say something, but Malory walked up and interrupted her. "What was that?! You have the coordination of a blind bat!"

The blonde woman grabbed Zen's hand, pulling him to the dance floor. "I'll show you how it's done!"

The silverette, unable to do anything but allow himself to be dragged, gave the herbalist a contrite look. The music soon started playing and the two began to dance. True to her nature, the noblewoman elegantly twirled and pranced about to the measure, giving no trouble at all to Zen. In fact, after a minute or so, he looked like he was beginning to enjoy himself. _Quite unlike how he was when he danced with me…_

She felt as if the measure would never end, her chest constricting throughout it, but it finally did. When they both came back to her, Malory gave her a smug look that seemed to say, _See? I totally did better than you!_

"Would you two like to go get our plates now?" Zen asked somewhat apprehensively, clearly sensing the tension and wanting to break it. After they all agreed, they strode over to the refreshments table and help themselves to extravagant food. Upon seeing the heap stacked onto Shirayuki's plate, Malory gave her a sharp look of disapproval. Her own plate only held two varieties of food while Shirayuki's held a little bit of everything.

To try and remedy this, the redhead tried to eat as a lady would but made a mistake. Instead of using the Dessert fork for her dessert, she mistakenly chose the Fruit salad fork for her use.

The noblewoman couldn't be happier to jump on any mistake she made. "That's a Fruit salad fork, not a Dessert fork!"

Shirayuki stopped midway in what she was doing. "Oh, right! I chose the wrong one! My deepest apologies!" She ruefully blushed as she fumbled about for the Dessert fork before plunging it into her slice of vanilla-and-chocolate cake.

Mr. Fauré just gave a slight chuckle. "It's quite all right; it happens to the best of us."

"It's still not ladylike," Malory hissed under her breath, just loud enough for only the redhead to hear.

"And neither is acting so arrogant," Shirayuki muttered under her own breath. She didn't realise that what she said was heard by anyone until a glass was knocked over, spilling its contents all over her pretty dress. The drink, unfortunately, was a thick mixture of certain fruits not blended quite well, so it slid down her dress when she stood to wipe it off.

"Sorry!" Malory said remorsefully, but the look of triumph in her eyes proved otherwise. "I didn't mean to knock it over; I'm just clumsy!"

Tears began to brim in the unfortunate redhead's eyes. "Yeah, I bet!" She ran out of the ballroom as fast as she could, ignoring the stares of everyone around her. She didn't stop until she couldn't run anymore, ultimately ending up in a secluded hallway. She leaned against a nearby wall.

 _Where am I?_ She thought as she looked around. As far as she could tell, this hallway hasn't been used for a while, conjecturing from the bareness of the walls and lack of activity. _That's just fine with me!_

She sank onto the floor, covering her face with her hands as she cried. She heard her own sobs being echoed back to her due to the great acoustics of the wing.

"Are you all right?" She unexpectedly heard an unfamiliar voice ask uncertainly.

She turned around to the direction of the voice. "W-Who are you?"

She had originally thought that this hallway was a secluded part of the castle, due to the lack of activity, but perhaps she had been wrong. _What exactly is within this hallway, anyhow?_

"I'm Harut–Haru," The blonde woman hesitantly answered, seeming to stutter on her own name.

"O– _hiic_ –Okay, Haru," The young redhead tried the name out with a hiccup, "I'm Shirayuki."

"It's nice to meet you, Shirayuki," Haru greeted sweetly, "but I don't believe you've answered my question."

"Oh!" Shirayuki said as it dawned on her. "For the most part, I'm all right. Just a bad night, I suppose."

"May I help you?" The blonde lady asked tentatively. "I'm not sure why a beautiful woman in a gorgeous dress would be crying in an abandoned hallway, but I'd like to at least be of assistance."

"That'd be nice," She said after a moment, letting her help her up.

"My room is just around the corner," Haru informed her, taking her arm in hers as she helped her down the hallway.

Now that the herbalist was close enough to survey her, she realised that the woman had hair so blonde, it appeared almost white as it cascaded down her back, and blue eyes so light blue, they appeared semi-grey. The frock she wore was a simple, light-blue frock that loosely—but gracefully—fell to her shoes. _She's so pretty!_

"Here we are," The blonde lady said after they had stopped at a door. She turned the knob and twisted it open before assisting the redhead inside. She shut the door behind them when they were both inside.

Shirayuki's mouth was open in awe as she looked around the room. "Room" wasn't the best word to describe it; "apartment" would fare much better. Her bed was much bigger than her own, having a semi-gable constructed into it. Beautiful paintings covered the walls, making the room seem lively. The space of her room was a magnificence all on its own; it was practically twice the size of her own apartment. _Who is this woman?!_

The woman quickly directed her to the bed, insisting she take a seat. "Please wait right here as I go to get a few supplies to help clean you up."

The young redhead did as she was told, sitting patiently on the bed as she waited for her. Her eyes surveyed the room some more as she did so. A specific portrait caught her eye; it was a portrait of the woman and an unfamiliar man. The woman was painted younger in the depiction, but there was no mistaking her. The man beside her was a blonde, same as she, but his hair was a bright blonde; he also wore his hair in a ponytail since it was so long. His eyes were a piercing blue as well, but his were a dark-sapphire blue. Looking at Haru smiling up at the man, it suddenly dawned on her that this was the woman's true love.

 _I wonder what happened to him?_

"Sorry for the long wait!" Haru apologised as she came out and went towards her. "I have everything we need!"

She began using a soft cloth to gently wipe away her cosmetics. "Would you like to talk about why you're upset?"

Shirayuki hesitated for a moment but decided to come clean. "I went to this party for nobles with someone I really liked, and another girl kept trying to show me up in everything we did to prove she was a better match for him than I. She got so sick of me that she spilt her drink on me and claimed it was an accident. I ran out of the ballroom before she could put more salt in the wound."

The blonde lady let out a gasp. "That's terrible! Ladies ought to not behave that way, especially when confronted with issues concerning a potential love interest!"

"I wish she felt the same way," The red-haired herbalist admitted exasperatedly. "I've tried to understand her, but it seems like she's only out to hurt me. I'm afraid that by her proving she's better at everything I'm not good at, he may want to be with her instead."

"Don't fret over it," The kind woman said as she put the cloth down and began unfastening her hair to brush. "Women like that make fools out of themselves when they try to make fools out of their competition. If your love interest is the least bit smart, he'll realise she's nothing good for him."

"The thing is… he has a higher status than me, and as such, needs someone who will look good by his side. I'm afraid that he'll realise I'm not good enough and want someone more ladylike," She admitted sadly as she felt tears begin to brim in her eyes once more.

"If that's the case, then why would he be with you? It's because he cares about what you are, rather than who you are." The kind words warmed her heart.

Shirayuki smiled. "Thank you, but how are you so knowledgeable about things like that?"

Haru stopped midway in what she was doing—brushing her hair—before taking a seat next to her. "When I was young, I met a certain man who had a… high status as well. He didn't care that I was a commoner and he wasn't; he cared about me, not about what our statuses were. I wanted to be with him, but I knew that if I wanted to be by his side, I'd need to have the status to be able to do that. I applied to be a lady-in-waiting and managed to get accepted. After working hard for more than a year, we were finally able to get together when I received a rank equivalent to that of a noble. That was the happiest day of my life."

She motioned towards the portrait. "We had that drawn on that very day, not wanting to lose a single moment. Even after he passed, I couldn't bring myself to store it away."

"I'm sorry for your loss," The redhead said solemnly.

"Don't be," The blonde lady said before jumping up from the bed. "I have two sons because of that love, and I don't regret a single moment of any of it. Neither should you for your own love."

A smile formed on Shirayuki's lips. "I won't. Like you, I'm trying to get the necessary rank to be by my love's side without hurting his reputation by working hard. I hope that someday I'll be proud enough to be by his side without any doubts."

Haru gave her a wide smile. "That's the spirit! Whoever you're in love with is a lucky man, indeed. If he leaves you for that charlatan, he ought to go find a doctor to heal him."

They both laughed, neither of them any longer sad. Happiness showed clearly in both of tears in their eyes. Suddenly, they heard voices talking outside of their room.

"You're positive that you saw her come in here?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yes, with a blonde woman," Someone else said.

The door was opened in one twist, and standing before them was Zen.

He let out a relieved sigh as he caught sight of Shirayuki, but his eyes widened as he stared at Haru. "M-Mother?!"

* * *

Okay, that's the end of the Cotillion Arc for now! For some reason, I decided to describe everyone's dress as perfectly as I could and actually did a bit of research on it to do so. I hoped it helped create a good visual for you all!

If you want me to make another one-shot concerning the Obiyuki or Zenyuki pair, feel free to ask or request me for it! I'll be glad to do it, granted that I have any free time. xD


	8. Reunion is a Time of Bliss

Zenyuki Week 2017, Day Seven: Reunion

Title: Reunion is a Time of Bliss

 **DISCLAIMER: I own** _ **nothing**_ **in this fan-fiction except my horrible grammar and writing skills. All the characters or cities mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to Akiduki Sorata unless said otherwise. Any references to real people or places are purely coincidental.**

 _Synopsis:_ When Zen comes back from the Northern Checkpoint to Wistal Castle after successfully cleansing the Bergatt family name, he doesn't realise that Shirayuki has already arrived before him. What will happen when they accidentally meet each other late at night? |/(o ^ o )\|

* * *

Zen tossed from side to side, trying to get into a comfortable position. He feebly threw his blanket around to see if that would help, but it was all for naught. He sighed as he gave up, rising and leaving his room to go for a short walk around the castle to clear his mind.

Though he had the sense to throw on his coat over his pyjamas, the night wind pushed back his hair with a cold force, making his eyes slant slightly to try and see through the night.

 _This walk is probably doing more harm than good_ , He surmised sombrely as he trudged slowly through the bitter cold night. _Maybe I should just go back in—_

His thoughts were abruptly cut off when a glint of shining red hair flowing in the wind caught his eye. He had to blink a few times to fully register that what he was seeing was real. _I-Is that really her?!_

The Second Prince broke into a sprint, the cold not affecting him anymore. The figure he was heading towards had a hood pulled over their head, so he couldn't see their hair until a gust of wind blew it back.

"Shirayuki!" He felt his voice call out to her, but didn't feel conscious of it. She stopped to look back at him.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Z-Zen?!"

He stopped right in front of her. "I didn't know you came here before me…"

She nervously started scratching her cheek. "W-Well… Kiki and Mitsuhide suggested that Obi and I both ride a carriage here, but you know Obi. He rode behind me on a horse."

Zen gave her a slight smile. "That sounds exactly like what he would do."

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "Would you like to go somewhere right now?"

She blinked in confusion. "Right now?"

"Yes, right now."

Before she could answer him, he grabbed her hand and began leading her away. "Come on, let's hurry before someone finds us!"

They quickly exited the castle, successfully not getting caught due to Zen's remarkable memory of the guard's rotations. The two made it to the place Zen had in mind.

"Here we are," The Second Prince informed her when they stopped at the closest of the many ports Clarines had with a shimmering sea. The full moon was beautifully glowing, half-covered by the horizon line of the sea. The half that was visible was mirrored into the water, a halo of radiance around it. All in all, it was a very pretty sight to behold.

"It's so pretty!" Shirayuki let out in awe as her eyes glimmered with wonder. "How did you find out about this place?"

Zen shrugged. "I stumbled across this on one of my many escapes from the castle. It's become somewhat therapeutic for when I've had a particularly harsh day."

She turned to him and gave him a slight smile. "One would imagine that it would be."

After that, they found a nice viewpoint on top of an elevated hill nearby and decided to go sit there to watch. They sat with their arms wrapped around each other, not a word said to one another. They both let the wind and the glorious moon envelop their senses for a moment.

"This reminds me of my grandfather," Shirayuki murmured under her breath, barely audible for Zen to hear. "He was very fond of boats and used to take me on his when I was younger. We'd have all sorts of fun together, catching fish or just paddling through the water in circles. No matter what we did, I always enjoyed it. I miss him now…"

The sad gleam in her eyes told the Second Prince that she was on the brink of tears, and he frantically looked about for something to console her with. _Found it!_

There, tied up to a post on one of the numerous decks, was a wooden boat. Its paddles were still inside it and it looked easy enough for him to manage. _I suppose I could do that!_

He turned towards Shirayuki. "How about we go get a better view of the moon on a boat?"

The redhead's eyes widened in surprise, then in glee. "Are we allowed to do that?"

There was no mistaking the mischief in the silverette's eyes. "No."

They chuckled softly as they made their way down the hill and to the dock. After unfastening the rope from around the post, they settled themselves into the boat and began paddling towards the sea.

"Do you know how to operate a boat?" Shirayuki asked curiously.

"No," He admitted sombrely. "I was hoping you would."

"Well…" She began, nervousness creeping into her voice. "I'm a bit rusty, but I do know a thing or two about boats!"

With that, Shirayuki was put in charge of steering them towards a good vantage point of the moon. Since Zen was knew with this, she steered it slowly so he wouldn't have any difficultly steering at the same pace as her. With this partnership formed, they made it to their terminus with time to spare.

"I didn't think it was possible, but it looks even more beautiful when you're closer to it!" The redhead squealed excitedly like a little kid getting a new toy.

The Second Prince couldn't help but smile at her exhilaration. "Its craters and glow are more defined when you're in close proximity to it, huh?"

She nodded multiple times, awe rendering her speechless as she stared up at the moon and all its glory. "Beautiful" wasn't the word he was looking for as he stared at her; in fact, he didn't think a word would do enough justice to her beauty at this very second.

Her smile quickly dissipated as she noticed his intense stare, turning towards him in concern. "Is something wrong, Zen?"

Without saying a word, he pulled her towards his person, his lips meeting hers in a fiery act of passion. Their kiss, like their relationship, was pure but equally fervid in the same instance. Zen put all the worries, stress, and longing he felt in the past months into his kiss, hoping she'd understand what she was trying to convey. Once she did, she put all her feelings into her kiss as well. They only pulled away when the need for air overcame their need for each other.

"Tonight was a good night, right?" He asked her unsurely.

She smiled widely at him. "Yep!"

They sat inside the boat long enough to have watched the moon set and the sun rise, enjoying every second of each. They stayed in the same spot until a very annoyed Mitsuhide—followed closely by a stoic Kiki and impish Obi—called for them to come back to shore.

"They'll make me do more paperwork as punishment," Zen pouted.

"Ah, the lives we live are unforgiving ones indeed," Shirayuki lamented sombrely as she helped steer the boat back to the shore.

* * *

This is the last prompt that I did for Zenyuki Week, but I am open to taking requests to make more one-shots! If you want me to make another one-shot concerning the Obiyuki or Zenyuki pair, feel free to ask or request me for it! I'll be glad to do it, granted that I have any free time. xD


	9. My Work Was Stolen, PLEASE READ!

I recently received a review on this fan-fiction by an anonymous user who informed me that my one-shot, "Feeling Are the Lights That Never Fade" was stolen by a user by the name of LuminaShizuma (id #5093075) on FFN here: (FFN URL) /s/12883503/1/Feelings-Are-the-Lights-That-Never-Fade.

However, when I tried to use this URL, FFN informed me that it was invalid, meaning the art thief deleted the fanfiction before I could see it. When I tried to find the user with the ID number, it directed me to a person with a different username. The person had been found out, panicked and changed their username (to KairiAtlantica) while also deleting the stolen work. This made it hard for me to track them down, but I finally did! I checked the plagiarism forum on FFN, found this person's ID, and finally found out they HAD stolen my writing and I now have physical proof this happened. You can find it here: (FFN URL) topic/124913/176966766/1/Report-FFNID-5093075-LuminaShizuma-KairiAtlantica-multiple-fandoms-Active-NSFW. I am number 13.

However, **to the amazing anonymous user who took the time to inform me that my work was stolen in the reviews of this fan-fiction** , you are such an amazing person! Seriously, if I met you IRL, I'd hug you! I would never have known this had happened if not for you! You are a true hero that stands up for what is right, regardless of how little an injustice it might be! Thank you, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart!

If this actually happened and people stood up to that art stealer on my behalf, thank you! I worked so hard on this and even just the thought of it being stolen made my heart hurt.

However, please do not continue to fight on my behalf! **DO NOT send KairiAtlantica** **any rude messages or reviews!** I read the terms of this, and they said that any bullying of a suspect will make a complaint null and void, meaning the suspect will get away with it. Please do not do this to me. I'm sure they have learned their lesson. You have all done enough, thank you.

* * *

T **o the person who stole my work** , that was a really terrible thing to do. Just because I haven't updated or written anything for almost two years gives you no right to steal my writing! They are mine, regardless of whether I'm active. By just looking at your plagiarism thread on the plagiarism forum, I can tell you already stole close to 69 different works from different fandoms and always ended up deleting them. I hope that this taught you a lesson and that you will NOT do it again.

Besides, why would you want to steal my writing? It's complete trash and full of grammatical errors. There are so many better writers out there, and yet you chose to steal a terrible writer's writing? What was the point?

* * *

Thank you to all who have taken the time to read this. I am sorry if this had ruined your day in any way, I just needed to inform my devoted and amazing readers of this terrible transgression. Please have an amazing rest of your day!


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